Ron Paul said Monday that President Barack Obama’s targeted killing of Anwar al-Awlaki might be an impeachable offense.

Asked at a Manchester, N.H. town hall meeting about last week’s killing of the American-born Al Qaeda leader, the Texas congressman said impeachment would be “possible,” but that he wants to know more about how the administration “flouted the law.”

Paul called the killing a movement toward “tyranny.”

“I put responsibility on the president because this is obviously a step in the wrong direction,” Paul said. “We have just totally disrespected the Constitution.”

The comments once again put Paul at odds with his Republican rivals over foreign policy and the war on terror in the latest indication of how his foreign policy views stray far from Republican orthodoxy even in a GOP that’s taken on an increasingly isolationist bent. Candidates like Michele Bachmann and Mitt Romney — who included the president in a list of people he commended in a statement released Friday — have generally been supportive of the killing. No one else in the field has spoken out against it.

But Paul’s stuck with the civil libertarians who’ve criticized the targeted killing of an American citizen without public due process.

With all due respect to Congressman Paul… I for one am not going to shed any tears over the killing of a two-bit terrorist thug like Anwar Al-Awlaki.

Mr. Al-Awlaki made a  choice, he chose to travel to a foreign country, and he chose to take up arms against the United States of America. As far as I’m concerned he was a traitor who renounced his citizenship and waived his right to due process the moment he made that choice… and he paid the price for it. Congressman Paul is, of course, entitled to his opinion, I doubt he’ll find much support for it outside the fever swamps inhabited by his most ardent supporters though.

H/T: Weasel Zippers.

More here and here.

Related

• Gaza-bound vessel really a ship of fools – Ruth Dudley Edwards, Irish Independent

The raid on a walled compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan which was carried out by special operations troops from the U.S. Navy’s elite Special Warfare Development Group, commonly known as SEAL Team 6, lasted about 40 minutes. The roughly two dozen SEALs who carried out the raid were ferried to Abbottabad aboard Blackhawk helicopters from the Army’s 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. There were no U.S. casualties, but Osama Bin Laden and four others were killed:

Three adult males were also killed in the raid, including one of bin Laden’s sons, whom officials did not name. One of bin Laden’s sons, Hamza, is a senior member of al-Qaida. U.S. officials also said one woman was killed when she was used as a shield by a male combatant, and two other women were injured.

Bin Laden was reportedly buried at sea… There’s not much else to say here, other than I hope Mr. Bin Laden spending eternity someplace very, very warm and if any of the SEALs, chopper pilots or OGA operatives who helped bring about his demise are ever in my neck of the woods… The first, and second round is on me! Bravo Zulu gentlemen!

Edit: I should note, the intelligence critical to finding Bin Laden came from detainees captured after 9/11:

Based on statements given by U.S. detainees since the 9/11 attacks, they said, intelligence officials have long known that bin Laden trusted one al-Qaida courier in particular, and they believed he might be living with him in hiding.

Four years ago, the United States learned the man’s identity, which officials did not disclose, and then about two years later, they identified areas of Pakistan where he operated. Last August, the man’s residence was found, officials said.

“Intelligence analysis concluded that this compound was custom built in 2005 to hide someone of significance,” with walls as high as 18 feet and topped by barbed wire, according to one official. Despite the compound’s estimated $1 million cost and two security gates, it had no phone or Internet running into the house.

Update: The U.S. Navy has released a statement detailing bin Laden’s burial at sea… Apparently he was buried at sea because no country would accept his remains.

Related

• U.S. team’s mission was to kill bin Laden, not capture – Reuters
• U.S. Forces Kill Osama bin Laden – Wall Street Journal
• Osama bin Laden: it took years to find him but just minutes to kill him – The Guardian
• U.S. Forces Unsure Bin Laden in Compound Until Face to Face – Bloomberg News
• Pakistan’s Musharraf: Bin Laden death “positive step” – Reuters
• How Bin Laden Was Found and Killed – Wall Street Journal
• Some White Knuckle Moments for Elite Navy SEALs Team – ABC News
• Intelligence break led to bin Laden’s hide-out – The Washington Times
• Did latest WikiLeaks revelations force U.S. to take out Bin Laden? – Daily Mail

President Obama announced Monday that military trials will resume for detainees at the Guantanamo Bay prison camp, saying the tribunals are an “important tool in combating international terrorists.”

Details are still sketchy, but it appears the President’s order bars the use of evidence obtained through the use harsh interrogation techniques.

Documents obtained Tuesday by the Electronic Privacy Information Center suggest that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has signed contracts for the development of mobile and static systems that can be used scan pedestrians and people at rail and bus stations and special event venues — apparently at times without their knowledge.

The documents indicate that DHS moved to develop the technology as part of an effort to bolster the ability of law enforcement personnel to quickly detect concealed bombs and other explosives on individuals.

EPIC obtained the documents from the DHS under a Freedom of Information Act request for data on mobile and static scanning systems it filed last year.

The documents show that the agency in recent years has signed contracts worth millions of dollars for the development of the new scanning technologies, said Ginger McCall, assistant director of EPIC’s open government program.

For example, DHS contracted with Siemens Corporate Research and Northeastern University to design and develop an Intelligent Pedestrian Surveillance platform that could detect improvised explosive devices concealed in backpacks and under clothing.

The system would use multiple cameras mounted on a so-called Z Backscatter Van to covertly scan moving pedestrians for potential threats, McCall said. A Z Backscatter Van is a mobile threat detection system that uses X-Rays to quickly scan through vehicles and buildings for hidden explosives and contraband.

The most chilling line in the article is this one: “The DHS believes it has very wide authority to implement its national security goals.” So much for Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches and seizures… DHS is looking more and more like an out of control agency operating without proper congressional oversight.

Bottom line, Congress needs to step up and reign in the beast they created before it tramples our civil liberties in the name of protecting us from terrorism.

Benjamin Franklin said it best “They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”

Update: Andy Greenberg has the TSA’s official response over at Forbes.com.

Related

• TSA Source: Armed Agent Slips Past DFW Body Scanner – KXAS TV Dallas-Fort Worth
• JetBlue passenger sparks terror scare after boarding plane with 3 boxcutters at JFK airport – New York Post

The next step in tightened security could be on U.S. public transportation, trains and boats.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano says terrorists will continue to look for U.S. vulnerabilities, making tighter security standards necessary.

“[Terrorists] are going to continue to probe the system and try to find a way through,” Napolitano said in an interview that aired Monday night on “Charlie Rose.”

“I think the tighter we get on aviation, we have to also be thinking now about going on to mass transit or to trains or maritime. So, what do we need to be doing to strengthen our protections there?”

Oh Lord can we please stop the insanity? With all due respect to Secretary Napolitano, we can’t bubble wrap life. Putting metal detectors or body scanners in every train station, subway station, bus terminal or ferry terminal in the United States is prohibitively expensive and overly intrusive. The body scanners alone cost roughly $150,000 each, add in the cost to hire and train the personnel to staff  all these new checkpoints we’re into to triple digit millions if not billions.

Secretary Napolitano is right, in that as we tighten aviation security the bad guys are going to start looking for softer targets. And, yes, that may include public transportation. But it also includes anywhere large numbers of people gather. What are we going to do put TSA checkpoints in every shopping mall, amusement park, night club, concert venue or  sporting event in America?

We have to be realistic, in an open society like ours there is always going a certain level of vulnerability. There’s simply no way to completely eliminate risk from life. Sure, we can trade our liberties for the illusion of security and hide behind metal detectors and body scanners, but a determined enemy will always find a way to attack us.

But then this isn’t about security it’s about making sure the scanner makers are getting a good return on they’re lobbying investment…

Related

• Airport protest never takes off; few delays seen – Associated Press

Heh, I’m not the least bit surprised the TSA missed those blades… much of what they is a sort of Kabuki theater that’s destined to fail far more often than they’d to like admit.

Mr. Savage’s experience highlights the fallacy of TSA’s things mentality, real security doesn’t waste time trying to stop honest, law abiding citizens like Mr. Savage from getting on an airplane with a pair of nail clippers, or Leatherman multi-tool, or a pair of 12″ foam cutter blades for that matter. Simply possessing a thing doesn’t not make you a terrorist or a threat to the aircraft… It’s what you intend to do with them that does. Real security screening has to be people focused.

As I noted yesterday at least one of the 911 hijackers, Mohammed Atta, did a dry run before the actual attack, one has to wonder if we might have been able to prevent those attacks if we had focused on identifying potential threats and subjecting them to heightened scrutiny rather than taking away Aunt Edna’s knitting needles.

Let me be perfectly clear here: I’m not saying we should let people carrying explosives or firearms onto airplanes… Commonsense would tell you that’s bad idea. But so is stripping honest, law abiding citizens of their nail clippers. As Deirdre Walker explains the heavy handed, inconsistent approach of the TSA is pushing us toward a public rebellion or a terrorist attack.

Related

• Against advice, TSA chief didn’t warn public about pat-downs – Tony Pugh, McClatchy Newspapers
• The Revolt Against the TSA: It’s the Election, Part 2 – John Podhoretz, Commentary
• TSA employee accused of kidnap, assault – La Grange News
• Next step for body scanners could be trains, boats, metro – The Hill
• TSA Troubles – National Review Online
• Poll: Majority oppose body scans, nearly half seek alternative to flying – Raw Story
• TSA urges Thanksgiving airport security compliance – Associated Press

Anyway, Gateway Pundit and The Other McCain are pointing out this transcript from CNN’s State of the Union this morning. It’s an interesting read and it’s worth commenting on in that TSA boss John Pistole admits his agency won’t adopt proven, effective screening methods because we don’t profile:

First lets take a look couple of quotes from Mr. Pistole’s interview with Candy Crowley:

“Yes. It’s clearly — it’s invasive; it’s not comfortable. It really comes down to what is that balance between privacy and security, and without profiling — people talk about, well, why don’t we profile? Of course we don’t do that here in the U.S., but we use all the latest intelligence. We have watch lists. We know about people who pose a threat to aviation security. It’s those we won’t know. And so it’s that balance between privacy and security.”

~ ~ ~

“Well, I think the Israeli model, which a number of people have talked about, uses intelligence in a different way, profiling. And then if in terms of a pat-down, if they suspect you of something, you receive a very thorough pat-down there.

That is top-notch security. The question is, do we profile here in the U.S.? No, we don’t. So how then do we use intelligence that informs the decisions and judgments. And given what we saw from last night in terms of this new Web publication that describes in detail how the cargo bombs were done, how the design concealed, and how they are using technology to disguise and defeat the screening mechanisms we have in place, look, it’s a difficult question, Candy.”

Now watch the video for the full context of the quotes:

Alright, the bottom line here is this is simple bureaucratic stupidity… The TSA won’t adopt proven, effective screening methods because of political correctness. As a result the TSA is subjecting cancer survivors like Thomas Sawyer and Cathy Bossi to invasive, degrading violations of their fourth amendment rights.

Lets be clear about something… The Fourth Amendment is about as unambiguous as you can get:

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

This notion that the government can simply ignore the Constitution or compel us to waive our fourth amendment rights when buying an airline ticket is nonsense… I can’t find a single piece of case law to support it.  Unfortunately, until the courts clarify the matter we’re stuck with these gross invasions of our person.

Anyway back to the topic at hand… Political correctness, this “We’re the U.S of A and we don’t profile” mentality is making us less secure. We have to be honest about the nature of the threat and design our screening systems to best identify potential security risks and stop them from getting on planes.

Using profiling dose not mean singling out all Muslims for addition scrutiny… it does mean assigning passengers to risk categories based on a variety of factors including age, gender, travel history, criminal record, known associations and yes, ethnicity. It means a 22 year-old foreign born student who has traveled extensively in Europe and the Middle east is going to be subjected to a higher level of scrutiny than a 70 year-old grandmother from Coffeyville, Kansas who travels to Atlanta once a year to visit her grandchildren for the holidays. It means using a little commonsense.

It also means recognizing the technology is not a panacea… Ahmed Ressam, the Millennium Bomber, wasn’t caught by technology, or good intelligence for that matter. He was caught because a law enforcement professional, U.S. Customs inspector Diana Dean, looked him in the eye, asked him questions and based on her training, experience and intuition decided something wasn’t  right and had a secondary Customs search of Ressam’s car performed.

Which brings up another point, the TSA has to change it’s focus from things to people… If you want to catch bad guys you need to look them in eye and ask questions. Keeping weapons and explosives off planes is all well and good, but it’s only half the battle… Keeping the bad guys off planes is the other half. Lets not forget at least some of the 911 hijackers did dry runs before the actually attack.

Edit: I should add, I think Congressman Ron Paul’s proposed “American Traveler Dignity Act” is a good idea. If police officers can be held civilly and/or criminally libel for negligence or misconduct in the performance of their duties so can TSA agents.

Congressman Paul’s proposed legislation is simple:

It establishes that airport security screeners are not immune from any US law regarding physical contact with another person, making images of another person, or causing physical harm through the use of radiation-emitting machinery on another person. It means they are subject to the same laws as the rest of us.

I doubt Rep. Paul’s legislation gain much traction, but if ever there was a chance to rein in the TSA this it. James Poulos sums things up pretty well:

My problem with what’s unfolding at our nation’s airports runs a lot deeper than the misfortune of genital encroachment. My problem is that we’re racing down an inherently absurd road. Set aside for a moment the dismaying way in which every new advance in security measures involves a retreat for civil liberties and traditional definitions of decency. Our logic of escalation appears to mean that every new solution actually creates a new and dramatically worse problem — one which calls, of course, for dramatically more invasive and comprehensive countermeasures.

Where does it end? As a matter of logic, it ends with a free people dehumanizing themselves in a way their own enemies cannot quite manage to do. Fortunately, we are not prisoners of logic. But the awful thing about terrorism is that it very well might keep us prisoner to fear.

Exactly, Benjamin Franklin said it best “They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”

Related

• How Israelis secure airports – Michael J. Totten, New York Post
• TSA could have chosen a less intrusive screening machine – Tony Pugh, McClatchy Newspapers
• The T.S. of A takes control – George Will, Washinton Post
• The Things He Carried – Jeffrey Goldberg, The Atlantic
• Pilots and passengers rail at new airport patdowns – Reuters
• Get your hands off me, TSA! – Jennifer Abel, The Guardian
• GOP lawmaker: Full-body scanners violate Fourth Amendment – The Hill
• Analyst: TSA methods ‘will kill more Americans on highway’ – The Hill
• Will Turkey Day Fliers Cry Foul? – Wall Street Journal
• TSA chief admits he withheld information on pat-downs – Tony Pugh, McClatchy Newspapers
• Security and Terrorism Expert Bruce Schneier: TSA Scans “Won’t Catch Anybody” – Popular Mechanics
• TSA, 2 ; America, 0 – Richard Kanto, American Thinker
• TSA workers face verbal abuse from travelers – Harriet Baskas, MSNBC.com

Every moment of that day is burned indelibly into our memories, I can remember every detail, the sites, the sounds, the  smells, it’s still feels like it all happened just yesterday.

President Barack Obama accepted the resignation of Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top U.S. commander and strategist of the Afghan war, following comments by the general and his aides disparaging the president and other senior officials.

Mr. Obama nominated Gen. David Petraeus, the head of the military’s Central Command and the architect of the surge of forces into Iraq in 2007, to take over as the commanding general in Afghanistan.

The nomination of Gen. Petraeus, who still requires Senate confirmation, sends a signal that the president stands behind the counterinsurgency tactics pushed hard by Gen. McChrystal and championed by Gen. Petraeus.

Mr. Obama said his acceptance of Gen. McChrystal’s recommendation didn’t reflect a disagreement about strategy or any sense of personal insult. “We are in full agreement about our strategy,” he said Wednesday, expressing “great admiration” for the general.

“But war is bigger than any one man,” Mr. Obama said. “As difficult as it is to lose Gen. McChrystal, I believe it is the right decision for our national security.”

He said the change was necessary to maintain a “unity of effort” in Afghanistan. “I welcome debate among my team, but I won’t tolerate division.”

I’m sad to see Gen. McChrystal’s career end this way, but given what’s happened I don’t see how he could have stayed on. The remarks made Gen. McChrystal and members of his staff in Rolling Stone were openly contemptuous of the civilian leadership… Article 88 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice couldn’t be more on that point:

Any commissioned officer who uses contemptuous words against the President, the Vice President, Congress, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of a military department, the Secretary of Transportation, or the Governor or legislature of any State, Territory, Commonwealth, or possession in which he is on duty or present shall be punished as a court-martial may direct.

Simply put there no was no other way this controversy could end, General McChrystal had to go.

Related

• Why McChrystal Must Go – Stephen Hayes, The Weekly Standard
• A McChrystal Endnote – Victor Davis Hanson, National Review
• Former Bush White House officials say McChrystal should go – Jon Ward, The Daily Caller